Tattoo Girl

I was anxious to read "Tattoo Girl" and I was not disappointed. I found the book unique... a mixture of fantasy and reality. What an interesting story. Emma, the young girl who is brutally attacked and covered with tattoos is taken in by a kind hearted ex-circus ... lady and her past is slowly uncovered. These two women are so unique and fated to be together. The story was very touching...about two ... with hearts of gold. I read the book in only a few days...a very fast read. I highly recommend "Tattoo Girl."

The amazing thing about this book is that it never goes too far in any one direction. The author throws everything into the mix. Never too sad, never too sentimental. He spins this wild tale with plenty of exciting action-but it's not the pure thriller stuff you get in most pulp fiction. Most likely people will have trouble placing it in their minds as either literature, thriller, entertainment or great depth. In my humble opinion it's all of the above and that's why it's such a damn good read. His writing is straightforward, nothing fancy. I whipped through it in two and a half days-and this from a guy who gets bored with most stuff fast.

A thriller about a girl, a woman and to a lesser extent a dwarf trying to reconcile themselves with their pasts. The writing is simple, deceptively plain almost, but somehow it has a dream-like quality that makes what's happening in the book feel like it's happening to you-it's extremely believable, though the story is highly imaginative and ultimately powerful. I haven't come across a more captivating novel in many years. I read a review of it that said that it is as much about being sad as it is about being frightened, that's a very good description. Having just started the author's first book, I'm finding it similar in many ways. I believe this writer is a master of suspense, but he's doing more than just making you turn the pages. The novel was passed along to me at my office. I'm glad it was.

Emma, the title character in Brooke Stevens' new novel Tattoo Girl is mysterious and compelling in ways that few literary characters are. When we first meet her she is mute, covered on much of her body by tattoos, and clearly fearful. The mystery of how she escapes from whomever is tormenting her and the potent bond that is created between her and the other powerful character Lucy, gripped this reader from the beginning to the last page of Tattoo Girl. Mr. Stevens writing transcends anything he has done before and he establishes characters that are highly believable even within the unusual world that they inhabit. The world of these characters is both familiar and loving but also full of imminent danger. The story unfolds in a deliberate and frightening manner that kept me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to see the movie.